The City of Boston is holding its municipal election Nov. 4, where voters will elect nine district and four at-large city councilors. Incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu is running unopposed in the mayoral race.
Wu advanced to the general municipal election after winning more than 70% of the vote in the preliminary election held Sept. 9. Her main rival Josh Kraft, who obtained nearly 30% of the vote, dropped out two days later.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with two polling locations on Boston University’s campus — conference room 103 in the Life Science and Engineering Building and room 101 in Kilachand Hall.
Other nearby stations are located at the Fenway Community Center, the Boston Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fenway and the Jackson Mann School in Allston-Brighton.
All four incumbent at-large city councilors — Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Henry Santana — are being challenged for their seats. They face Frank Baker, Marvin Mathelier, Will Onuoha and Alexandra Valdez.
The candidates pointed to housing as the main issue facing Bostonians at a housing forum in Roxbury earlier this month.
Onuoha and Mathelier disagreed on rent control policies, while other candidates discussed plans to increase affordable housing.
Mathelier also spoke at a City Council Candidate Forum hosted by the BU Democrats Oct. 15, where he advocated for affordable housing and rent controls.
Baker formerly served six terms on City Council, while Valdez and Onuoha have both worked in city government for more than a decade. The four incumbents received the most votes in the preliminary election, with Baker following closely behind.
In the district elections, all incumbents received thousands more votes than their opponents, according to the election results listed by the City.
Miniard Culpepper and Said “Coach” Muhammed are running in District 7 after former City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson resigned in July amid an embezzlement scandal, leaving the seat vacant. Anderson was charged with a felony in September.
BU falls mostly in District 8, but many students living in Allston-Brighton reside in District 9. City Councilor Sharon Durkan is running unopposed for her District 8 seat, while incumbent Councilor Liz Breadon faces Pilar Ortiz in District 9.
Breadon, who has served three terms, was the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Boston City Council.
Ortiz is a “dedicated community advocate” who has had numerous roles in City Hall, including Mayor’s Office advisor and City Council liaison.